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Software Engineering Major

Study software architecture design and development at SBU

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SBU's software engineering degree is designed for students interested in careers involving software development, software architecture, information processing and big data.

This program focuses on software engineering principles with an emphasis on software architecture design, the software development process, implementation, quality assurance and testing, and data science.

Pair your software engineering major with a minor in either statistics or mathematics to enhance your skills in data analysis.

A required internship will provide you with hands-on, real-world experience to prepare you for your future career as a software engineer.

SBU's Division of Computing and Mathematics has a long history as a leader in producing software engineers and computer programmers. SBU's programs in computer science and cybersecurity are accredited by ABET, a distinction only a very few evangelical institutions in the entire nation can claim. This new degree program in software engineering is on track to receive accreditation from ABET as well in the near future.

The Software Engineering degree is offered through SBU's College of Professional Programs.

Resources

Degree Plan

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The SBU Advantage

  • Complete a required internship in software engineering to gain valuable, real-world experience before graduation.
  • Graduates from SBU's Division of Computing and Mathematics have achieved a 98% historical 90-day job placement rate.
  • All division faculty have or are pursuing a Ph.D.; together they have more than 100 combined years of teaching and industry experience.
  • Technology leaders and SBU alumni help shape the future direction of the program by serving on the CIS Advisory Board.
  • Graduates from the SBU computing programs typically earn starting salaries ranging from $50,000-$75,000.

Faith Integration

SBU's software engineering program is dedicated to the intentional integration of Christian faith and academic discipline. For example, each year at least one senior project is chosen that has an intentional spiritual focus. In the past, these senior projects have benefited companies and organizations such as Global Media Outreach, New Tribes Mission and IMB missionaries in Thailand.

Psalm 15 — SBU's College of Professional Programs and the Robert W. Plaster College of Business have a Psalm 15 initiative, which provides intentional integration of faith and academic discipline. Using Psalm 15 as a basis, the Colleges have identified eight character traits that should be the hallmark of the students and graduates. These character traits are emphasized in coursework and in a special lecture series. The highlighted character traits are: Integrity, Service, Respect, Charity, Faithfulness, Truthfulness, Humility and Perseverance.

Ethics and Professional Development — As part of an intentionally Christian education, students in the Robert W. Plaster College of Business take a senior-level course in Ethics and Professional Development. The course teaches Christian personal and professional ethics and equips students with life skills such as career development, etiquette, and servant leadership, with the goal of producing ethical business leaders who will be servant leaders in the workplace.

Career Opportunities

Studying software engineering at Southwest Baptist University will prepare you for a variety of possible career paths, including:

  • Data Analyst
  • Software Architect
  • Software Developer
  • Software Engineer
  • Software Quality Assurance Control
  • Software Test Engineer
  • Technical Lead

Clubs and Organizations

Competitive Programming Teams

SBU is home to one of Missouri's top competitive programming teams, with more than 20 top-10 national awards in the last five years. Additionally, SBU is the 2017 CCSC Mid-South Regional Champion Competitive Programming Team! Use what you're learning in the classroom to compete in various regional and national competitions throughout the year.

Collegiate Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)

SBU’s FBLA team competes nationally in various categories. The team has produced five national champions and 15 top-10 finishes at FBLAionals in the past 10 years.

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

Join SBU's chapter of Association for Computing Machinery, the world's largest scientific and educational computing society.

Full-Time Faculty

Jim Cain

Dr. Jim Cain, Professor
Jeff Kimball

Dr. Jeff Kimball, Associate Professor
Meilani Conley

Meilani Conley, Instructor
Baochuan Lu

Dr. Baochuan Lu, Professor
Amos Gichamba

Dr. Amos Gichamba, Division Head

Accreditation

Select programs within the College of Professional Programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The Computer Science and Cybersecurity programs are accredited by ABET's Computer Accrediting Commission.

SBU's computer science program is the only ABET-accredited program at an evangelical Christian college within a 500-mile radius of Bolivar, and is one of just six evangelical Christian institutions nationwide to receive this accreditation. SBU's cybersecurity program is the only ABET-accredited program at an evangelical Christian college within a 800-mile radius of Bolivar, and is one of only two evangelical Christian institutions nationwide to receive this accreditation. SBU's Division of Computing & Mathematics is the only department at any evangelical Christian institution in the U.S. to house programs accredited by both ABET and ACBSP.

Competitive programming

SBU is home to one of Missouri's top competitive programming teams with more than 20 top-10 national awards in the past five years.

  • CCSC Central Plains Regional Champion seven times in past 10 years
  • AITP National Collegiate Conference national top three or higher 13 times in past 10 years
  • Top-20 team in the Mid-Central United States region at the International Collegiate Programming Contest each year since 2005

Research Lab

SBU CIS students benefit from the CIS Research Lab, a Windows 7 100 base TX Ethernet networked lab housing three parallel processing platforms, including a multi-hundred NVidia system. Lab is primarily used for senior projects, work study and research projects.

Scholarships

You will have the opportunity to apply for several privately funded scholarships. Select incoming freshmen receive a CIS award for their first year.

Taylor Center

The College of Professional Programs is housed in the Gene Taylor National Free Enterprise Center. The Taylor Center was expanded and renovated to provide the following benefits for our students:

  • Increased number of dedicated study areas and presentation rooms that can be reserved in advance
  • Keycard access for certain majors increases building security while allowing you to access space and equipment after hours to effectively study and work on group projects
  • Student lounge and open spaces to study, relax and hang out

Program Objectives and Outcomes

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the software engineering program will have an ability to:

  • Identify, formulate and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics.
  • Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental and economic factors.
  • Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  • Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental and societal contexts.
  • Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks and meet objectives.
  • Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  • Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Educational Objectives

Within a few years of graduation, graduates of the software engineering program at Southwest Baptist University will be able to:

  • Communicate effectively with their peers, clients, supervisors and other professional work constituents using both written and oral communication
  • Understand how to make rational decisions when faced with social, ethical and legal issues inherent to the computing field
  • Apply the theoretical framework in the computing disciplines to the analysis, design and implementation of problem solutions and systems
  • Employ the use of computing technology from a Christian perspective as technological servant leaders within their chosen careers
  • Pursue continued professional development, advanced degrees, research, and technical certifications where appropriate.

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